I’ve had the SPARTAN Sport WHR (WHR = Wrist optical Heart Rate) for a couple of days now.
For followers of the introduction of the SPARTAN series to the market there is nothing unexpected to write about at present. You knew it was coming and here it is. It’s real!
It’s pretty much the same as the non-optical HR version (reviewed here). I will probably update that review with some new stuff that is being introduced into this week’s firmware update.
I’ve always liked the SPARTAN watches as I’ve personally bought into the longterm vision for the platform. Not everyone else did. Fair enough.
The reality on the ground NOW (March 2017) is that the SPARTANs are approaching a point with the released features where they can start to get competitive. One-by-one you are seeing some of the other reviewers of the SPARTAN change their views as they have been won-over with the improving feature set and great GPS accuracy (my GPS tests have very good results but also see fellrnr if you need the opinion of more than one person).
The only other tests that I am planning to do with the WHR are to separately review the GPS and optical HR accuracy. Firstly, the optical HR is Valencell’s hardware – so we are expecting good things from that. Secondly I’ve found differing GPS performance with the SPARTAN models (SPORT vs ULTRA), so I’m keen to see if my 4th SPARTAN is good/better/worse than the previous ones.
I’ve also started to become a bit of a convert to pool swimming with optical HR with my Polar M200. Just because it conveniently captures heart rate without having to wear a chest strap AND because the HR is supported in swim mode. The M200’s oHR is acceptably accurate for pool swimming so I am happy to use it to at least have a go at capturing the data rather than estimating it – as I have been previously. Anyway, the SPARTAN SPORT WHR also will produce HR when swimming so I will see if that can become my new pool watch.
PRELIMINARY GPS RESULTS: I have had only about 8 hours of bike/run training with the WHR so far. Part of that covered my formal GPS test route and the SPARTAN SPORT WHR came out in the same ballpark as the non-WHR version. IE it’s up there with the best. That was in GPS mode and NOT GPS+GLONASS mode.
The raw FIT/TCX GPS test files are available (here) in a public folder along with an analysis spreadsheet of the results (there are three tabs in the spreadsheet).
Please help support this blog when you next make an Amazon purchase – it take s a lot of time to produce hopefully useful content. Just click one of the links below before you buy any Amazon product. Thank you!
Support this site with purchases at these partners - should click to a local choice in your country
WHR = wrist heart rate?
ty, doh!
I know the WHR is the show stopper here… but are these buttons as comical as the ones in the Ambit where you never know if you have pushed them or not (vibration alert alas wont help there) and is the customization from Movescount still the same one where an ad-hoc workout designed to last 20′ ends up lasting 21′ when you run it….
Great brand for GPS accuracy, altimetry and maybe HR now… but for the rest UNFIT FOR RUNNING PURPOSES….
Yes, venting….
but then again with a STRYD you can actually see what speed you are really running at.
I bought two for the wife and myself and they both completely over read our heart rates by up to 20bpm. Had many years of heart rate experience with an Ambit 2 and more recently with a Garmin 735xt. The Spartan WHR desperately needs a software update to sort this out. Have read another review with similar results..
I’m also looking at some of the Fenix 5 user comments and some people are reporting the Garmin to be out by a similar amount and that has been released for longer. (I’m not excusing any HR issue from any vendor)
Hi.. I was going to get a Polar M200 for the pool reasons, and I am considering replacing my Ambit3 Peak with a new watch… I am curious to know… Did the Suunto Sport WHR become your new pool watch?
sometimes, but not exclusively.
I probably use it more than most others.
Thx! I’m not likely to get both (m200 / sport WHR) watches… Would like to pull the trigger on the Sport WHR… I have been a Suunto fan for a while… Not sure if my phone doesn’t load the full review, but you left me hanging on the WHR pool performance write up… Your review has been very helpful (given the negative feedback of others) and if you can recommend it for the pool functionality… I’d be happy to move on with my purchase 🙂
if you want a swim watch with all the functionality buy the 920xt + hrm-swim/tri
whr is quite good (obv the ohr wins over garmin as garmin has not got it) but it still needs a little work. it does the basics tho